Quite often I am asked by new business owners what the most important things are to do first when starting a new business. My answer is almost always the same: Create a PLAN! However this post is not about that. Assuming your business already has a plan networking should certainly be a part of that plan. They say in business that it is not what you know but who you know and that is what makes networking so important.

For almost any business owner success is about building a database full of clients that continue to use your services on a regular basis. When you are first starting out in business I suggest making a list of all the people you know both personally and professionally. Contact each of those people in the first few weeks of your new business and let them know about your new venture. Let them know you would love to earn their referrals if they come across anyone that could use your services. Make time to meet with those who you think are most likely to come in contact with possible referrals on a regular basis. For example, if you are an auto shop and you have an insurance adjuster in your database you will want to build that relationship to earn their referrals. The same would go for a real estate agent and a mortgage broker or a health insurance salesperson and payroll salesperson. The idea is to build a sphere of influence and send referrals back and forth. However the key is that you have to give to receive. Look for ways you can help your colleagues do more business and if you are sincere about helping them they will do the same for you.

If you are an existing business you can use these same principles too. The good news is this should be even easier for you because you can contact past clients who already have used and hopefully appreciated your top notch service. I still recommend making a list of everyone you know and contacting them too. You will be surprised when you find that your neighbor’s sister is married to the procurement manager of a company you have been trying to break into. Make contact with all on your list and all of your past clients and as you do this pay attention to where that business came from. Often my clients find a small group of people have referred most of their business. These people need to be contacted regularly both to earn more referrals and to show appreciation for the support they have given.

I am working on a 90 day sales plan to use networking to do more business. This will be a free download on the site once it is ready and I will be sure to come back here and post a link. If you want a copy please let me know by leaving a comment including your email address which will not be published. If you would like to discuss these topics in more detail sign up for a free coaching call and we can get you started on the right foot.

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